A satellite communication system uses satellites in low earth orbit to transmit messages and other signals to SCR's located on or near the surface of the earth. Each satellite can transmit multiple beams of RF (Radio Frequency) energy, with each beam being directed to a different geographic area. Each beam carries scheduling information that tells receiving SCR's when and where to start decoding frames which may contain messages for them.
An SCR generally receives and decodes signals from several beams, some of which may be intended for geographic areas outside the SCR's service area and which contain no messages for that particular SCR. Nevertheless, the SCR will decode the scheduling information contained in all received beams even though one or more of the received beams does not contain scheduling information intended for that SCR. As a result of decoding scheduling information intended for other SCR's, the SCR is erroneously directed to look for messages that are intended for others, thus wasting the SCR's battery life. Battery life could be improved if an SCR could disregard scheduling information transmitted by beams which are intended to serve geographic areas relatively remote from the its position.